Criminality
by Astronomiae
Summary: The world is crueler than Izuku Midoriya could have ever predicted. With tragedy striking him at the young age of 14, and with no hope of becoming a hero, Izuku must find a path that would accept him and his ideals. Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi is on the hunt, and may prove a useful doorway for the lost boy.
1. Prologue

"Mr. Midoriya?" The voice penetrated the insufferable silence, making Izuku look up from the bland floors of the precinct. His empty dark green eyes staring into the face of a detective - Naomasa Tsukauchi, a predominant presence in the Musutafu Police Department. "I would greatly appreciate it if you assisted us, Mr. Midoriya. I understand the events are… Difficult, but please, we need your help."

Izuku continued to stare towards him, but his hands gripped themselves tightly on his lap. He opened his mouth to speak, taking a few more moments until words could properly be formed. "It-... I came back from school, like usual," he began softly - brokenly. "It was a normal day... I woke up, had breakfast with my mom, went to school, came back and my mom decided we should go out to eat. But-But," he sobbed, clenching his eyes shut tightly.

Tsukauchi watched silently, a soft frown adorning his face. "On my way back… I-I saw it, this _monster_. It was attacking everything in sight, like it had no other goal other than destruction and death. I… I froze. It noticed me." Izuku looked down, tears falling from his cheeks onto his clenched fists as he shook. His breathing was labored, but he pushed on.

"It lunged at-at me. I couldn't move. I was terrified. Then I heard a laugh… It was a comforting one, one I knew from the bottom of my heart." Izuku wiped his face and looked up, his nose scrunching up as he sniffled. "All Might just happened to be there. All I could think to myself is 'We're saved!', but… That _thing_ was able to push back All Might and… I should've moved!" He shouted the end, eyes clenching once more as his sobs came back full force. "And my mom- my mom-"

He covered his face, sobs uncontrollable now. Tsukauchi sighed and stood up, the wooden chair gently scraping the floor. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Midoriya. Please remain here until further notice, okay? I'll see to it you get some food and drinks while you're here." The detective left the room, leaving it in dreadful silence, broken only by the agonized cries of the young boy.

Outside the room, Naomasa Tsukauchi rubbed his chin, another quiet sigh escaping his lips. He reviewed the information given, as well as the information gathered from other witnesses. He looked at a TV through a glass panel wall, a reported depicted on the silent screen. But he knew what she was talking about. What everyone was talking about.

All Might had fallen. The Symbol of Peace defeated by an unknown villain. It hurt even Naomasa, having been very close to the man himself, but he had a job to do. Other people were suffering, like poor Midoriya. He lost his mother in the brutal attack. His right hand closed into a fist, his dark eyes staring down at it in well hidden frustration. Most people knew of All Might's death, yes, but just as tragic, if not more so, was the lost of their greatest hope.

One for All had been lost, dying right along with its final user.

* * *

Izuku stayed at the precinct for days. Maybe even weeks or months. He didn't know. All he knew was he was tired of sleeping on a couch not meant for sleeping on. His back ached and his eyes were drier than a desert. The only consolation was the warm food and fresh clothes the police had been able to provide him over the course of his stay.

Not having a father to speak of, the police were looking for a place for him to stay. They mentioned an orphanage once or twice, which never failed to make him outburst in refusal. It would have been embarrassing, before _that._ Now Izuku didn't care, he just didn't want to go to such a place. He wanted his mom back. He wanted to go home and sleep and wake up to her awesome breakfast.

He wanted to go back and watch TV with her. He wanted to get excited over a new heroic act All Might did and tell her all about it. Neither of those would ever happen. He had lost the sun and the moon to his world that day, and he didn't know what to do without them.

For the most part he stayed in the office room, listening in to Detective Tsukauchi, or Naomasa as he asked him to call him, talk on the phone or to co-workers. He, like the rest of them, regarded him with pity and concern. He didn't need pity nor concern; he needed his life back. He'd give anything for that. Alas, life was too cruel, and turning time was one of the few things that remained impossible, even with Quirks.

So here he sat, gazing at the floor with a thousand yard stare as Mr. Naomasa sat behind his desk, clicking his pen repeatedly. It was the only noise in the otherwise quiet room, as the door was shut.

"Say, Mr. Midoriya," Mr. Naomasa's voice interrupted his thoughts, as it often did. He seemed to talk to him the most out of everyone. "You're 14, correct?" Izuku nodded, looking up towards the detective. Said detective frowned, but Izuku didn't question it. He did that, too. "Most kids your age go to higher education next year. I hear Endeavor's son will be attending U.A. High next year."

Ah, that's right. Kacchan said he was applying too, didn't he? Izuku had wanted to apply, to prove he could be a hero even without a Quirk. "What school were you thinking of attending?" Mr. Naomasa broached the subject, making the green haired boy look back down. "I know you don't have a Quirk, and I remember you carrying that notebook with you throughout your first time here at the precinct. Did you want to try journalism, perhaps?"

The 14 year old shook his head, once again not vocalizing his thoughts.

"No? Did you intend on staying a hero blogger your entire life, then?"

A frown tugged at Izuku's lips, the scowl coming not long after. "No." His reply seemed to stun Mr. Naomasa to silence, but he just as quickly recovered.

"Just a hobby then, I suppose. What school were you trying to get into? I could perhaps arrange for you to get a dormitory-"

"I wanted to go to U.A," Izuku interrupted him, his voice much softer but enough to silence the man. "I wanted to become a hero."

Mr. Naomasa was silent for a while. Izuku thought that was the end of the conversation, so he allowed himself to sink fully into the couch with a deflated sigh. However, the detective spoke up again, surprising the boy with his words.

"You don't have a Quirk, you know. There aren't any Quirkless heroes recorded, and not because of a lack of trying." Izuku opened his mouth to reply, but was quickly shut off. "There are reasons beyond ability for that. If society allowed people without Quirks to run around like heroes, then what would that do? It would show that heroes aren't that much different than Quirkless citizens. It would spur villains into action, even though heroes with Quirks _are_ different than Quirkless. Not to mention the dangers posed to Quirkless peoples. Allowing Quirkless into hero society would be inviting them to die, all for some faint idea of glory. So, laws were passed, and Quirkless weren't allowed to become heroes."

He sighed, letting his pen drop onto his desk. He stood up and walked over to the couch, gently sitting himself down next to the boy. "I know what it's like to have a dream just out of my reach. I was just like you." Mr. Naomasa smiled down at Izuku - a sad one, but also one of hope. "I learned the hard way. I attempted U.A. Tryouts… They failed me before I even had a chance to think they might accept me."

Izuku sat silent, thinking about the words he was saying. His heart, already so fragile, felt another blow as the truth set in. Or, maybe, it had always set in. He knew there were no Quirkless heroes; he was a fool for thinking he had been the only one who wanted to be one.

"So, I joined the police force instead. There's a special college just for it, teaching young men and women how to work alongside heroes and ensure justice is emplaced." The detective shook his head, placing a gentle hand on Izuku's shoulder. "You have to be seventeen to attend, but there are pre-courses you can take over the next couple of years to prepare yourself and get to standard. It's tough - maybe not U.A. tough, but it is by no means an easy feat. Even people with Quirks have a hard time making it in."

"Are you…" The green haired teen started, mouth being unable to form words. Mr. Naomasa just chuckled and stood up, looking at Izuku as he walked back to his desk.

"It's just a recommendation. While attending these pre-courses, you are given housing and a small allowance to buy gear and food for the training. As the courses can be applied to other fields, it has quite a few attendants. I suspect crime rates will skyrocket with the loss of All Might-" Another terrible reminder of how dark the world had quickly become. "And we could use more good people in the force."

"I…"

Mr. Naomasa held his hand up, shaking it with a sheepish smile on his face. "You don't have to answer now. But before the week is over would be nice, just so I don't have to put you in a children's home without your consent."

Izuku's wide eyes looked from Mr. Naomasa to his lap, his eyebrows furrowing in thought. His mom, All Might… Both died at the hands of a scary strong villain. A villain who no doubt inspired many others to rise up with his actions. His hands clenched, his teeth grinding together. A new feeling sprung in his chest - different from the numb pain he had experienced over his stay here.

His eyes looked up, making Mr. Naomasa smile this time.

"I'll do it. It might not be a hero, but I refuse to stand down and let someone else experience this pain."

A fire was burning, the same one that had always been in his heart. He may be quirkless, he may never become a hero, but he was far from useless. He would never be what Kacchan called him. He'll become a savior to the people his own way, not with a super power Quirk, but with hard work and a keen mind.

* * *

 **I came up with this idea today while reading some MHA Fanfics. I was surprised at the quality of the top stories, and not necessarily in a good way. So I was inspired to try my own hand at it.**

 **I haven't read a lot of stories from this anime, but the ones I did read started pretty similarly. 4 year old Izuku, doctors visit, blah blah. Which is fine, I don't mean to bash or insult anyone who thinks it's a good start point, because it is. That's why it's used so frequently. But I want to try something different - break the mold. That's what writing is about, after all. To me, anyway.**

 **I haven't exactly authored the best stories myself, so I am most definitely not perfect, and I likely made some mistakes in this prologue. But that's fine, I'll learn from them, just like I hope everyone does when writing. You'll never be good enough, so you must always aim for the top. Just like this anime preaches.**

 **I came up with this idea while reading other fanfics on this. I just thought "How can I change Izuku's character drastically, without being out of character or messing with the infamous doctor's visit?" So, here it is. I wanted motivation - his mother's death - and to close of the route to becoming a hero - the death of All Might. The "No Quirkless Hero Law"? I just see it as logical. In a world where a single man can destroy a mountain with a punch or two, what hope do powerless humans stand against a villain with similar powers? Laws exist to protect the people, this is no different.**

 **I also made Naomasa quirkless, for the sake of plot. I dislike OC's, so a minor change like this was the only thing I could really accept. Though to be fair, I didn't even know he had a Quirk until I was researching his character, so it won't change much I hope.**

 **Anyways, I'll post the next chapter whenever. I won't have a schedule due to my career being exhausting and unpredictable, so bear with me on that.**


	2. Chapter 1 - Izuku Midoriya's on the Case

**Here's the first chapter. Has a few time skips in it, I didn't want to focus too much on the pre-course or academy.**

* * *

Izuku wiped his face clean of sweat, a quiet sigh escaping him as he stared at the timer. 13 minutes and 23 seconds. Not his best two mile run, but not his worst. He was at least in the upper twenty five percentile on runs, though he often shot for higher. He jotted down in his mental notebook to adjust his diet, he needed to stop drinking so much energy drinks.

"Izuku!" The teen glanced over at the source of the voice, a smile tugging at his lips as one of his friends waved him over. "We're going to the mess hall, wanna come with?" Izuku's eyes caught sight of a man in a tan coat behind his friend, his eyes widening slightly before returning to normal.

He smiled to hide it, answering his friend quickly. "Go on without me, I need to shower first. I'll meet you guys there after, though," He responded, laughing quietly at the whining his answer produced. They separated after bidding farewells, the green haired boy looking at the man after his friends were out of sight. "Mr. Naomasa."

Izuku's curt greeting gave the man a pause, but he let it go with a short chuckle. "You don't seem too pleased to see me, Izuku." He winced, rubbing the back of his neck. Yeah, his greeting wasn't the most friendly, was it?

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting you. I'm not a big fan of surprises."

"Understandable, given your circumstances." Izuku frowned. "Ah, but that's not what I'm here for. How are things going? You've been enrolled here for over a year now, right?" He had. A year and four months, actually, but he felt the specifics weren't really important. The time had shown, too. His hair was still a curly mess, but he wasn't as lean as he had been before. He had grown a couple of inches, too, which was definitely nice.

"Yeah. It's going fine, I've been kept busy thanks to the curriculum and physical training." The detective nodded, his eyes glancing him over quickly. Izuku shuffled, uncomfortable with the gaze, but knowing it wasn't anything bad. He was probably just surprised at his growth, or something.

Mr. Naomasa nodded again, smiling at the younger male as he stepped up next to him. Despite the growth spurt, Izuku still only reached up to his chin, much to his chagrin. "How about you show me around campus? I haven't been here in years, I'm curious about what's changed."

"Uh, sure…" Izuku replied, put off by the request. What's with the sudden interest? They started walking, his feet instinctively taking him in the direction of the dormitories. "Why did you come visit, Mr. Naomasa? You said you came here for a reason, but you didn't say what."

"Astute, Izuku." The man chuckled, tilting his hat in recognition. "I see the training here has been useful." Deciding to get the point, he cleared his throat. "You just recently turned 16, yes? That means you can transfer to the academy next year after the semester. Are you still considering that route?"

The green haired teen pursed his lips, eyes looking around at the other students taking a stroll about campus. His hesitation wasn't unnoticed, however. "I understand throwing your desire to be a hero away is rough, even more so to settle with something that isn't as glamorous or-"

"It's not that, Mr. Naomasa. I… I still do want to be a hero, yeah, but," Izuku shrugged, looking over at the detective with firm eyes. "I understand the necessity of me doing this. I wouldn't be able to emplace justice chasing that dream." He looked back forward, putting his hands in his sweatpant pockets. "I'm going to attend the Police Academy."

He knew other paths were open to him from this institution. Military, private sectors, security - other agencies that could give him more money or fame than being a cop could. But they wouldn't give him the opportunity to save people, not like what the force would provide. "I just…" He trailed off, looking down at the ground.

Mr. Naomasa laughed softly, placing a gentle hand on Izuku's head and ruffling his messy hair. "You haven't changed one bit, Izuku. Passionate, but you worry too much." Izuku looked up at him, eyes wide. The man smiled down at him, removing his hand. "I see a lot of All Might in you, kid. I think- no, I know he would've liked you."

Izuku didn't know how to react to that compliment. His heart still stung at the thought of the deceased hero - his personal hero. But hearing that from someone who knew him personally? It felt… Like he was doing something right. It was a sensation he hadn't felt in a long time. Izuku let a smile of his own form, hands quickly wiping the unspilled tears in his eyes. "That means a lot, thank you."

Realizing they got off course, Mr. Naomasa went back to the topic at hand. "I came here under the guise of doing that, but I really just came here because I was worried." His hand scratched the back of his head and he let out a laugh. For a cop, he really was a carefree guy sometimes. "I haven't been able to come by until now because of the skyrocketing rate of crime, but I managed to finish a case early so I could come here."

"I see," Izuku mumbled, looking back at the path they walked. He saw it in the news constantly; new villains rising up in the loss of All Might. He sighed quietly, shaking his head. "Some people really can be cruel, huh?"

"You're preaching to the choir there, kid." Mr. Naomasa chuckled, stopping to look at his watch. "Tell you what. I'll talk to your educators and see if I can't pull you for the day, give some excuse of 'showing you the ropes' or something." He grinned and gave him a thumbs up, a cheesy wink being added in the mix. "Then we can just go out for ice cream and a movie. My treat, kid."

"..." He couldn't help himself; Izuku laughed. He placed a hand over his eyes and doubled over, his laugh leaving him breathless and making his abs burn. That was the most normal thing he's heard recently! "Alright, alright," He sighed, wiping a tear from his eye with a grin of his own. "I'm down."

* * *

 **3 Years Later**

"...and that concludes lessons for today. Remember, men, finals are next week. I expect every single one of you to study and train hard to pass it. It's no easy feat, so don't take it lightly!" The instructor shouted as trainees filtered out the room. Izuku stayed seated, his hand busy on writing notes in his journal. He wore normal trainee uniforms - a blue blazer and pants. Simple, compared to most schools in Japan.

He had been attending the Musutafu Police Academy for almost two years now. He had learned that in the past - before Quirks - training was about 5-6 months, but upon the arrival of the abilities it had to be increased to two years in order to cover most cases with them. It was exhausting, but it made for far more suitable officers. Something Izuku was grateful for.

He stood up and closed his journal, placing the book in his bag before slinging it over his shoulder. "Midoriya, a word?" The instructor asked, making the boy gulp in anxiety. With a nod and a deep breath, he moved forward, standing in front of the desk with his hands firmly at his sides. "Kid," The instructor began, his eyes looking through Izuku's and into his soul. "I've taught here for a lotta years. Seen a lot of good men and women come through those doors, some leaving far too soon.

"I've read your records. I saw how you were in the top ten percent in the pre-course. Even here, you excelled, quickly shooting for top of the class." The man cupped his chin as he stared down at the green haired teen. Despite 3 more years to grow, Izuku was only barely 170 centimeters, completely unremarkable. "You're studious, hard working and, above that, you got heart, kid. I know you got what it takes to pass your finals, and I ain't gonna be here due to surgery next week, so I'm giving you this ahead of time." The instructor pulled something out of his desk, holding it out for Izuku to take. With a frown, he did, his dark eyes looking it over.

"Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi said you should have it. Said you'd make good use of it. Now get goin' kid, I don't want to take up more of your study time." Izuku nodded, eyes glued on the item.

"Thank you, sir," He mumbled as he walked out of the class, not even looking up as he traversed the halls. The badge was worn down and dull, but that wasn't what was important. The signature on the back said it all - 'All Might'. He'd know what to do with it? Ha, the only thing he knew was to hang it on his wall.

He pocketed the item, fierce green eyes looking up as a swell of resolve traveled through his body like blood. He'd graduate this academy, for All Might; for his mom. His heroes wouldn't die so long as he still breathed.

* * *

He saluted, gunfire resounding throughout the field as he stood next to two people who he knew by heart. Yet, at that moment, their names and faces were blanks, their identities blurring off into the background as he was the only one remaining. The graduation ceremony had been exactly what he'd expected - grandiose, but not as much as a hero's graduation. It was enough, however, for pride to explode in his chest.

He may not be a hero, but he was an officer of the law, and a deliverer of justice. He'd be a hero somehow, even if it won't be in title.

He walked off the field, uniform perfectly in order and police cap firmly on his head. To not only graduate, but graduate on his birthday? It felt good. He hadn't felt this good in a long time, since before the incident. He wouldn't let it go to waste. Izuku smiled upon seeing a familiar face - Naomasa Tsukauchi. Someone he owed his entire life to.

"Congratulations, Izuku!" The man laughed as he shook his hand, a wide smile on his face. He looked like a proud older brother more than anything. Izuku replicated the smile, eyes shining with the pride he felt inside. "I knew you could do it! And you graduated in the top five of your class, that's amazing!"

The shorter boy laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "It's not like I was the valedictorian or salutatorian, though…"

"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean you did any less amazing." Naomasa's smile was so sincere that Izuku couldn't help but feel better about it. "Besides, now you can come work with me!" He laughed, causing the green haired boy to roll his eyes at the man's childishness. "Now come on, let's- Ah, crud," he grumbled, fishing out his phone. "One moment, sorry."

"It's fine, take the call," Izuku responded, taking the time to look over at all the other graduates with their families. Some, like him, didn't have their parents at their sides, which gave him some comfort. He wished it wasn't so, though. He'd take feeling terrible himself any day over other's being in the same position. Gloved hands tightening, he renewed his vow to ensure as many people as possible wouldn't have to live like that.

"Alright, as I was saying," Naomasa's voice brought Izuku back to reality, his eyes looking back at the man. "Let's go celebrate with some katsudon!"

"Yeah!" Izuku replied with enthusiasm, eyes lighting up at the mention of his favorite food.

* * *

"Thank you," Izuku said to the waitress, flashing her a quick smile as she handed them their food. She returned it with a promise to return in a bit to check up on them. The newly graduated cop sighed in bliss as he smelled the pork, a wide grin taking over his face. "This smells great!"

Naomasa chuckled, sipping his water with a nod. "I would hope so. I wouldn't want to pay for bad katsudon."

"Well, we'll have to see if it tastes as good as it smells, won't we?" Izuku picked up his fork - a habit he picked up from All Might's obsession with America, and thus, his own obsession - with a flourish, eyes staring intently at the food. His mouth watered at the sight of it; the succulent fried pork glistening with the juice practically leaking out of the meat.

Due to his concentration, he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings, his elbow reaching further than expected and accidentally bumping into someone passing by. He yelped, quickly pulling his arm back before looking in that direction.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't-!"

"I'm sorry, I wasn't-!"

"... Er," Izuku cleared his throat, looking up into grey eyes. "Sorry, I wasn't really watching where I was moving. Are you okay?" He asked, sincerity lacing his voice. The owner of the grey eyes giggled - _giggled_ \- and responded curtly.

"I should apologize, I was walking far too close to the seating. I didn't ruin your meal, did I officer?" Right, he forgot he was still in his graduation uniform. Izuku shook his head, soaking in her appearance quickly. Black hair that was tied up into a ponytail, with some of her bangs hanging in the front right side of her face. She wore a pink dress and simple sandals. Nothing really stood out, although she was pretty tall. About as tall as Izuku, if not a little taller.

He rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly when he realized he was taking too long to respond. "No, no! Everything is fine here. Sorry again, I didn't mean to hit you ma'am." She didn't answer on whether or not she was okay, either. He didn't like to toot his own horn, but he wasn't a weak guy. He wasn't a hero, sure, but as a cop, he had to be in top physical shape.

"I'm fine, but thank you for your concern." Her smile was radiant, nearly blinding Izuku in it's purity. How could a woman be so bubbly? It was kind of cute, though. "Anyways, I must be going, my friends are waiting for me. Good bye!" She waved and walked off, the green haired teen returning the gesture with a bye of his own.

He let his hand drop and he sighed, looking at Naomasa with wide eyes. "I just spoke to a girl!" He whispered excitedly, earning a hard laugh from the elder man. "What? The academy separated males and females for the most part! I haven't talked to once since my mo-... Er, since before I moved." He rubbed his head, eyes glancing down at the pork.

The detective calmed down, nodding a bit as the silence rang out. "Um, anyways," Izuku mumbled, taking a bite of the pork. He hummed, eyes wrinkling up in delight. "Ahh, it's good! A little colder than I would've liked, though."

"Maybe because you spent five minutes talking to Creati," Naomasa teased, making the boy sputter. He looked up at the more experienced cop, dark green eyes wide.

"Wait, Creati? _The_ Creati?" Izuku looked over at the woman, who sat across the restaurant with a group of a few other women. "I've heard of her, but I never got a good look at her!" He tapped his fork on the table, his mind wandering. "She can make anything from her body, so long as she has lipids, right? So she probably has to eat a lot more to make up for that. Depending on the amount of fatty acid available, she could theoretically make anything, from-" He fell into an incoherent mess of mumbling, eyes staring intently at the heroine as he subconsciously ate away his food.

Naomasa rolled his eyes, letting his younger friend do whatever with a fond sigh. It's been a while since he had done this, after all. It was nice to see his interest in heroes hadn't waned, nor had his hobby of studying them. He looked down at his own bowl of pork thoughtfully, a contemplative frown adorning his face.

"Izuku," He said, looking over at the new graduate. Said graduate looked over at him, curiosity lacing his face. Naomasa smiled, pointing his chopsticks at him. "I want you to come with me to the precinct tomorrow. We'll see about getting you stationed there, that way we can work together."

"You can do that?" He inquired, eyebrows furrowing slightly. "I thought they'd just place me somewhere else in the city."

"I'm not supposed to, but I can call in a few favors." The detective smiled, a light shrug showing how little his concern was about that. "This is the best route for working alongside heroes. Just like you want, right?"

His head bobbed, a fierce firing igniting in his eyes. "Yeah. It's all I've been thinking about the past few years. I need all the chances I can get to enact justice." Naomasa smiled slightly, parched lips sipping his cool water slowly.

"Revenge is dangerous, Izuku," He lightly chided, receiving a head shake from the younger male.

"It's not about revenge. That _thing_ that caused… That," He cringed, shaking his head again. "It's gone. No one's seen it since. But this League of Villains and the hundreds of bad guys that pop up yearly? That's here. And I can do something about that. I can save lives."

The detective smiled again, nodding proudly. "Couldn't have said it better myself, kid. Cheers to that." He raised his glass, Izuku clinking his against his with a small, but excited grin.

* * *

"Oh…?" A small cackle of laughter was the only noise heard in the dimly lit room. It calmed down and turned into a sigh, the hooded man scratching his neck idly. "What a shame…"

"Mr. Shigaraki, we must reconsider-"

"Reconsider?" He mumbled, his hand pausing on his neck. "No. We won't reconsider for some guy with some explosive Quirk." He dropped his hand on the bar table, red eyes peeking out from blue hair towards the purple mist-like man. "He'll die just like All Might. They all do, in the end."

"How do you plan on dealing with him? Nemu?" His deep voice inquired, the man's hands busy with cleaning a glass cup.

Shigaraki hummed, hand reaching up to scratch his neck once more as he thought. "He already killed one…" He whined, the scratching become more erratic. "He'll just kill more unless they're ready. Where is that rude bastard?"

"Dabi?"

"Yes… Send him."

* * *

Izuku glanced around the office, amusement showing as he did so.

"What's with that look?" His mentor grumbled, apparently bashful of his open criticism of the office.

"Nothing's changed!" He laughed, grinning a bit up at the other man. "Besides that picture on your desk, everything is exactly as I remember! And I remember it well, I spent a week here." He glared at the sofa, crossing his arms as he moved away from it. "What's with the picture, anyway? Did you get married without telling me?"

"H-Hey wait-!" Naomasa reached out, eyes wide in panic as Izuku picked up the framed picture. Alas, he was too late, as the younger male quickly snatched it up and crossed to the other side of the desk in one swoop. His eyes were immediately glued to the picture, the green orbs clearly on display due to how wide they were.

It was the two of them - well, three, including Naomasa's sister, Makoto. They were at an amusement park, with the older male holding the camera as he took an impromptu selfie. Izuku had ice cream shoved into his cheek while Makoto had spilled her coke over her and her brother. But he still had a grin on his face, contrasting the other two's shocked expressions.

"Why do you…?" Naomasa snatched the picture, huffing with a light blush dusting his cheeks. He set it back down, glaring a bit at Izuku.

"It's one of the only pictures I have of you not all mopey." He looked down at it, his lips quirking oddly to the side. "When you first showed up in my office, I didn't think much. I saw you as some other victim, and I only wanted to solve the case. Whatever happened to you afterwards wasn't my problem - so long as you were safe. But something about you wouldn't let me treat you like others; it was like All Might himself was telling me to save you." He sighed and shook his head, leaning against the desk as he looked at Izuku.

"After I sent you to the course, I forgot about you. I knew I did something right, and I got involved with work. But I dug up your files on accident a year later, and I wanted to know how you were doing. So, a few months later, I swung by. I noticed you were doing fine, and you were happier." Naomasa chuckled, grinning slightly. "You reminded me of him. You look nothing alike and you act completely different, but your tenacity and that fire in your eyes was exactly like All Might. I couldn't help but stick around after that. Eventually, well," He shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. "Guess you became a part of my family. Makoto thinks the same."

"I… See," Izuku mumbled, looking at the picture once more. "I-"

"No need to respond, kid." Naomasa stood up, stretching his legs a bit before smiling at the rookie. "No offense, but you're not good with words. I'm saving us both the trouble of you rambling."

"Hey!"

The two settled down after a few minutes, the two sitting at the desk with a couple mugs of coffee. It was barely eight in the morning, the sun shining brightly through the closed window on the far side of the office. Naomasa was flipping through a couple of files with one hand, his other holding the steaming mug up to his lips.

Izuku sat on the other side, idly scrolling through his phone with his cheek resting on his palm. The light of the screen reflected in his green eyes, news articles being the source of it. "Apparently the villain 'Gale' got caught in Tokyo last night. That's good," Izuku mumbled, only barely interested. Gale was a small time villain who could only cause small bursts of wind; nothing special like the similarly named hero 'Gale Force', who had control over wind to an extreme extent. He was a new pro, but he was already in the top 20.

"Hm," Naomasa grunted his response, sipping his coffee slowly. "For a small timer, he caused a lot of havoc on that American base, didn't he?"

"Yeah, I did a report on that in the academy. Apparently he used his wind to push over a powerline. Evidence suggested it took him three days, since his wind is so weak." Izuku shrugged, setting his phone down. "It fell onto one of their fences and into a neighborhood. I think it seriously injured 4 and killed one." He sighed, shaking his head before stretching his arms. "I bet they're glad he got caught, huh?"

"One down, a billion more to go," Naomasa chuckled, setting his files down. "Let's go check in with the chief. I want to see if we can get you stationed here as quickly as possible." With that, the two stood up and left the office, the folders lying openly on the desk.

They didn't notice the previously closed window was now open.

* * *

"Izuku Midoriya, huh? Ranked 4th in his class, excelled in physical training and was in the top twenty five percent on academics…" The chief mumbled, reading over his information. It seemed more like an interview, something Izuku didn't think he'd have to go through for cop work. He sat there awkwardly, listening to the dog-like man mumbled. Tsuragamae Kenji was, for lack of a better word, odd. His record was impeccable, and he dealt with the media with a surprising level of efficiency. His abilities as a cop never wavered, either, despite his age and time off the front lines.

"Think you can pull some strings, sir?" Naomasa inquired, standing right next to the younger male. He sounded and appeared calm, but Izuku was willing to bet he was just as anxious as he was, if not more so. One way or another, he would get to do police work, but this was the only way he'd get to work with Naomasa. Just a little nerve wracking, he thought.

The dog-man hummed, tapping his small chin in thought. "I can, but…"

"But?"

"One of the outposts already has a spot for him." Naomasa frowned, his hand falling onto Izuku's shoulder. Seemed he really was nervous.

"But you can pull him, right?"

"I can, but I can't pull him over just to do police work, Tsukauchi. There would have to be a better reason than 'I want him.'" The detective sighed, running a hand through his combed hair. "He doesn't have any college education, so becoming a detective like you is out of the question. And even then, I doubt it would be enough leverage to pull him. The only thing I can think for him is SAT."

"The Special Assault Team?" Izuku suddenly asked, eyeing the beagle-headed chief. It was probably out of place, but he wasn't ever able to sit back on important matters.

"You'd still perform normal police duties, but you would also be tasked out to high risk situations. Usually regarding villains and terrorists," Tsuragamae explained, hands folding on the table. "Before, SAT was limited to a few places in Japan, but due to Quirks, every major city was allowed to have their own SAT force. Ultimately, you'll be working alongside heroes more frequently than not, and your patrols will be more thorough than normal."

That sounded… Too good. It was everything Izuku wanted. Normal police work was never his goal, but he figured he'd need to suck it up and deal with it until he could move up. Now, though? "That's-"

"I'm not finished." That shut Izuku up. "It's reserved for more experienced members of the force, or officers with a decent control over their Quirks. As you are Quirkless and a rookie, I would need a _very_ good reason for enrolling you in the tryouts."

Naomasa hummed, looking at Izuku thoughtfully, the silence dragging on for far too long for Izuku's comfort. Before it became unbearable, he snapped his fingers and looked back at the chief. "I've been trying to crack a case for a few weeks now. I haven't gotten very far with it, but I have one lead that could be promising. If Izuku was to come with me and help me solve it, would that be enough?"

Chief Tsuragamae pursed his dog lips - an uncomfortable sight - and slowly nodded. "It might. I'd need to get permission to borrow him for the case. I'll use the excuse of not enough manpower, but I'm sure I can get at least that. I can't promise we'll keep him after it, though; especially if the case isn't enough to get him to SAT tryouts."

"A chance is all we need, sir." Naomasa grinned down at Izuku, holding out a fist to the younger male. He returned it, a small grin of his own showing.

"Next tryouts are a week from now. Crack the case a few days before then, and he just might have a chance."

Izuku was barely a day out of the academy; a rookie, fresh and untested. By all rights, he should be conducting simple patrols and leg work, like handing out tickets or reporting small time vandalism and graffiti. Instead, he was working on a full case with a detective, and that had his blood pumping through his system like nothing else.

Police work might never have been what he wanted, but he was growing accustomed to it. He couldn't wait to see what was in store for him.

"Detective Tsukauchi!" A voice yelled, some unremarkable girl showing up at the door of the chief looking disheveled. "Someone broke into your office and ransacked the place!"

* * *

 **Like I said, there were some skips, but it would've been boring had I focused on his schooling.**

 **Izuku is 19 at the end of this, so all of Class 1-A is similarly aged. Meaning they're no longer in U.A. and are official heroes - those that made it, at least. Momo did, as we saw!**

 **We also get a small peek at the villains. Again, I dislike OCs, and only add them in if necessary, and even then they usually play a small role.**

 **I'll try to have less perspective jumps next chapter, I just have to do that to get to the actual story. Sorry 'bout it.**

 **Until next time!**


End file.
